I use rich administrative data and several quasi-experiments in Texas to study which students benefit most from college grant aid and why. For "extensive-margin" students, grant aid causes enrollment in college, and therefore has potentially large benefits relative to these students' no-college counterfactual. In contrast,…

This qualitative narrative research study aimed to address the problem of students' low enrollment numbers in a historically low number of college-bound areas in South Texas. The theoretical frameworks utilized to explore this topic were self-efficacy and social capital. The proposed theories explored students' level of self-efficacy, social…

Texas has been declining compared to many other states and foreign nations in supplying an educated workforce needed to compete in a global economy. The 60x30TX plan, if successful, is expected to reverse Texas' decline and prevent a future of diminished incomes, opportunities, and resources. The present study evaluates steps a medium-sized…

The purpose of this dissertation was to compare the perceived impact of federal financial aid on the decisions of college-aged African American and Hispanic males to attend college. Participants in the study were delimited to XYZ University, a regional university in Northeast Texas. A modified version of the College Experience Survey, originally…

The intent of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the influence of financial knowledge application and financial debts or freedom of traditional Texas college students. The study identified how financial knowledge application influenced whether traditional Texas college students do or do not accumulate debt. The study…

The Texas Statewide Youth Leadership Forum (TXYLF) provides self-advocacy training to high school youths with disabilities. TXYLF is an enhanced version of the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) that is comprised of an initial five day training, a nine month support phase, regional YLFs, and the opportunity for participants to return to the five day…

Undocumented Hispanic students in higher education have many challenges and barriers to overcome. This qualitative study investigated the emerging themes identified in the lived experiences of five undocumented Hispanic (UH) students who successfully completed their education in a two-year college in southeast Texas. This phenomenological…

In Texas, Hispanic populations (people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race) have increased from 6.7 million in 2000 to 7.4 million in 2005, or by approximately 10.5%. This growth trend is expected to continue with estimates that Hispanics will represent approximately 37%…